SCHOOL LUNCH
Activists: Some milk unhealthy

An animal-rights group is calling for the removal of 'unhealthy' milk from public school cafeterias, saying it contains too much sugar and fat to be good for children.
BY FRED TASKER
ftasker@herald.com

The lobbying group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed an official complaint with the Florida Department of Education on Monday demanding that it stop the sale of ''unhealthy'' chocolate, strawberry and other flavored milks in high school vending machines.

''Flavored milk drinks contain more fat, sugar, cholesterol, and calories than even soft drinks do,'' the complaint says. ''Dairy representatives should be in jail for foisting this high-fat, high-sugar toilet water on the nation's children,'' said Bruce Friedrich, director of vegan outreach for Washington, D.C.-based PETA.

In Miami-Dade, the complaint got instant action. Penny Parham, in charge of school lunches, drove to a high school, checked a milk vending machine and discovered it was selling the exact, 460-calorie Nesquick chocolate milk product referred to in the PETA complaint.

''It's coming out immediately,'' she said. ``This isn't the right way to fight obesity.''

Parham said she will replace it with lower-fat milk products.

In Broward, where the same milk product is sold in vending machines, school lunch director Ray Papa could not be reached Monday for comment.

CHANGE IN WORKS

And at Nestle's California headquarters, spokeswoman Yasmeen Muqtasid said the company will replace its full-fat chocolate drink by January with a 2-percent flavored milk that has 38 percent less fat and 13 percent fewer calories, but still will provide 40 percent of a student's needed calcium.

PETA attorney Matthew Penzer said Monday's Florida complaint is the opening salvo in efforts to counter dairy industry vending machine programs in several states.

Countered Scott Wallin, spokesman for the Dairy Council of Florida: ``We have an army of health professionals, doctors and dieticians who support the role of dairy in our diets.

``Milk has the calcium kids need. Milk consumption is on the decline. If it takes flavoring to get kids to drink it, that's what you've got to do.''

WEIGHT CONCERNS

The complaint comes at a time of rising national and local concern about obesity in children.

Last week, Gov. Jeb Bush, citing a new study that says 10 percent of Florida high school students are overweight and another 14.2 percent are in danger of becoming so, appointed a task force to study how to counter the trend.

In 1999, it was Bush and the Florida Cabinet that changed Florida law to permit vending machines in Florida high schools as long as they are approved by local school boards and principals.

High school principals in Dade and Broward say they need the revenue from such machines to fund band trips, athletic programs, senior proms and other programs not adequately funded by school systems.

Parham added that she hopes the complaint doesn't give a bad name to lower-fat, lower-calorie milk drinks, pointing out that milk provides essential calcium, protein and vitamins to growing children.

The complaint says that, ounce for ounce, full-fat flavored milk drinks contain more fat, saturated fat, sugar, sodium and calories than Pepsi. Friedrich confirmed that Nestlé's Nesquick Chocolate Milk was the product in the comparison.

A 16-ounce bottle of Nesquick, the complaint says, has 460 calories, 16 grams of fat, 58 grams of sugar, 280 milligrams of sodium and 60 milligrams of cholesterol. It says the same amount of Pepsi contains 200 calories, 0 grams of fat, 54 grams of sugar, 25 milligrams of sodium and 0 milligrams of cholesterol.

''Everybody recognizes that sodas are worthless sugar water,'' Friedrich said. ``People have the image that milk products are helpful, and they're even worse for kids.''

In Tallahassee, a Department of Education spokeswoman who declined to be quoted by name said: ``We like to see healthy snacks and drinks, but it's totally up to the individual school districts.''

VIOLATES LAW?

PETA's complaint also says serving milk violates Florida laws that require schools to ``efficiently and faithfully teach kindness to animals.''

It says: ``The sale of a product produced by an industry responsible for widespread cruelty to animals is inconsistent with both the spirit and letter of this legal mandate.''

Wallin, of the dairy council, denied animals are mistreated: ``Animals that are abused don't give milk.''

PETA's Friedrich devised PETA'S ''Got Beer'' campaign that urged college students to drink beer instead of milk for health reasons.

He helped lead the 2001 boycott of Miami-Dade-based Burger King that persuaded the giant fast-food chain to promise better treatment of the animals it uses in its meals.

And he helped lead the PETA campaign including picketers in chicken suits that, in May, got Kentucky Fried Chicken to promise to improve treatment of the 350 million chickens it serves in the U.S. each year.

 

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